1. Field
This invention relates to covers. More particularly, it provides a crush resistant cover for a bank card terminal processing machine.
2. State of the Art
Numerous retailers utilize bank card processing terminals to pay for item sales. These bank card processing terminals are fairly sensitive to environmental hazards. They have card slots leading into the interior of the bank card terminal electronic circuitry to electronically read the information on the magnetic strips of customer bank cards. This information is then transmitted via cables operably associated with telephone lines leading to a main computer processor. These bank card processing terminals also include a key pad below a display screen to alternatively manually input a customer's bank card data and the amount of the sale. Presently there is no good protective device to prevent accidental contact damage to or environmental exposure of the bank card terminal. For example, some bank card terminal processing machines have a transparent plastic key pad cover covering the keys. These do not prevent dust, grime, grease, liquids, and food from accumulating in the card slot reader, causing damage to the electronics. These transparent plastic key pads become brittle and opaque through age and do not prevent damage to the terminals if accidentally hit by an object. Therefore, usage of these bank card terminal machines is generally restricted to a retailer's indoor office areas.
Other soft flexible plastic covers are used to cover the bank card terminal to prevent dust, grime, grease, liquids, and food from causing damage to the electronics. However, these soft plastic covers do not prevent accidental crushing of the bank card terminals.
One device, Eppich discloses an impervious modular crush resistant container into which electronic components are sealed therein to provide a rugged modular housing unit for protecting the electronic circuitry contained therein. As a sealed container, Eppich is unsuited for use as a bank card terminal container, which requires exposure of the internal circuitry via a card slot to read the magnetic strips of bank cards inserted therein. Eppich also does not shield the Eppich is absorbed by the modular container itself. This can cause cracking or distortion of the container, which may affect the internal electrical component alignment.
There thus remains a need for a crush resistant cover with a closed top and extending sides defining an open bottom, which extends about and around bank card terminals to protect them from falling objects, liquids, dust, and grease. The invention described below provides such a device for fast food restaurants, auto repair shops, and other retailers wherein heavy objects and dust, grime and grease are routinely encountered near sales counters or for outdoor use.